Broadway Bridge named Grand Conceptor by ACEC of Arkansas

The Garver-led Broadway Bridge replacement project that connects the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas has been named the top engineering project in the state by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas. 

The Broadway Bridge, which opened last March to replace a more than 90-year-old structure that had become structurally deficient, was given the Grand Conceptor Award at the state ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards Gala last week at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. It is the fourth Garver-led project in the state to win the award, joining the Big Dam Bridge in 2007, the Table Rock Dam Auxiliary Spillway project in 2005, and the Searcy Water Intake Structure project in 2004.

“The new Broadway Bridge is one of the most satisfying and rewarding projects that I have worked on during my career at Garver, considering the importance to the community,” said Garver Bridge Design Manager John Ruddell. “It was truly a cooperative effort between Garver, the two cities, Pulaski County, and the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the finished product has served as a source of pride for everyone.”

In addition to design, Garver provided a bridge-type selection study and a two-phase traffic study for the new Broadway Bridge that provides the state’s largest metropolitan area with an updated Arkansas River crossing. Design included approaching roadways, bridge lighting, and pedestrian and cycling paths.

The design also took closure time into account to help alleviate inconveniences for up to 24,000 daily travelers. Because of two iconic landmarks on each end point – a minor-league baseball stadium on the north side of the river, and a performance hall and City Hall on the south side – an offset alignment was deemed too difficult. So, the two 448-foot basket-handle network tied arches were constructed on barges on the Arkansas River, then floated into place. The bridge opened five months after closure, one month ahead of schedule.

To learn more about what Garver’s Bridge Team can do for you, visit GarverUSA.com/Transportation.